Linda Barker, fabulous at 52: 'Menopause made me stronger'

LINDA Barker says the menopause hit her “like a freight train” – but thanks to a new lifestyle regime, she’s feeling fabulous at 52

Thanks to a new lifestyle regime, Linda is feeling fabulous at 52 [GEMMA DAY]

Heading towards my fifties, I felt hugely positive about the next stage in my life. My daughter Jess had just left for university but instead of empty nest syndrome,

I was delighted because she was studying the subjects she wanted, at her first-choice university, with great housemates. I’d been happily married to Chris for almost 20 years, I’d managed to sustain a career in TV over a similar period and was looking forward to having more time to myself.

And then, wham: the menopause hit me like a freight train. Brain fog descended as I became forgetful and emotional – at the age of 48 I just wasn’t feeling in control of my life, which wasn’t like me at all.

I would wake up in a sweat during the night and have to go for a walk around the house to cool down, which would make me tired the next day. I’m lucky that I’m freelance, so can pick and choose my jobs. But if I’d had to get up early every morning to go to work, I would have struggled.

My periods became so heavy that I was tested for anaemia, then they stopped altogether. But the worst thing was the anxiety. The trigger was always a hot flush – several times a day, I would feel it building from deep within until I’d have to remove layers of clothing as the sweat ran down my back. I came to expect the sense of panic that would then overtake me for absolutely no reason, worrying about Jess or work. Small problems took on monumental proportions.

The change is an appropriate name for it all because everything shifts – your physical being, your mental approach, the way you look. My face became hugely sensitive as the reduced collagen level caused my skin to thin and, of course, I saw more lines and wrinkles develop.

Chris, who is 53, was really worried about me. I’d never had a problem with periods or any other aspect of being a woman before, and he was completely unaware of what goes on during the menopause because our mothers’ generation just didn’t talk about “women’s problems”. I had no qualms about opening up to him, but I also made an effort to talk to Jess about it, too, so she is prepared.

I think telling your daughter about the menopause is the second most important conversation you should have with her, after the facts of life, because communication is key to breaking down the stigma. The menopause is only ever talked about disparagingly and it has become a stick to beat older women with.

Because the symptoms were so bad, I started hormone replacement therapy. But when I went to repeat the prescription after three months,

Linda was facing new challenges when she appeared on Splash! diving contest [GEMMA DAY]

We have amazing actresses such as Judi Dench and Helen Mirren who aren’t afraid to talk about how old they are, the issues they’ve faced, the wrinkles they’ve grown. We need to share those experiences.

Linda Barker

I saw a different GP. She explained to me that by taking HRT, I was only delaying the inevitable. I’d need to come off it at some point, because the health risks – including breast cancer – increase over time. Did

I want to suffer the same symptoms when I was older and would I find it even harder to cope? I think the jury is still out on HRT but I don’t like popping pills if I can help it, so I decided to get through the menopause my own way, without drugs. In any case, they didn’t seem to be helping much.

I’ve always thought diet is the best medical insurance you can take out, so I started cooking with ingredients containing phytoestrogens – plant-based versions of the natural hormone that depletes as fertility winds down – such as soya beans and oats. I also took black cohosh, a herbal remedy that’s said to offer alternative benefits to HRT, which really helped. And to offset the increased risk of osteoporosis,

I focused on load-bearing exercise at the gym, to help improve my bone density. By the time I hit 50 two years ago, my symptoms were much improved, so I started training for marathons, too.

As a result, I’m stronger than I’ve ever been – you should see my biceps – and I feel full of energy. That’s a result of realising that I’m getting older now, not younger, so I need to make an effort. And for the first time since becoming a mother, I have the time to do that.

I also feel able to face new challenges. Appearing on Splash!, the reality TV diving contest in which I was a finalist last year, was phenomenally scary. It was the biggest challenge of my career and I wouldn’t have had the courage when I was younger. I think that’s hormonal – you get a bit more testosterone after the menopause.

And I feel more positive about my career because it’s so much better for women in entertainment now – the women who started to complain have made men face their attitudes to women as they age. And we have amazing actresses such as Judi Dench and Helen Mirren who aren’t afraid to talk about how old they are, the issues they’ve faced, the wrinkles they’ve grown. We need to share those experiences.

I don’t mind my own wrinkles. I have good skin for a 52 year old and that’s the point – I want the best skin for the age I am. I’ve found the only skincare range not afraid to market itself specifically for menopausal skin, called Stratum C, which is claimed to double the production of collagen. I started using this just after a holiday when I’d suffered an eczema-like reaction to sun block. I cut everything else out and just used Stratum C, and my skin cleared up immediately.I don’t think face-lifts or Botox are for me.

I feel I’d be letting the sisterhood down because they create a false standard. And it’s surgery, for heaven’s sake – someone is cutting you up, and that’s wrong on every level. I’m happy to look my age – and it turns out my fifties are not the scary place that I’d started to think they would be.

Related articles

“The menopause occurs around the age of 50 when decreasing levels of the hormone oestrogen cause the ovaries to stop producing eggs,” explains Alison Cullen, nutritional therapist for A Vogel health supplements.

“The fall in oestrogen is responsible for the most typical symptoms of the menopause – hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings. Oestrogen is also partly responsible for joint suppleness, so aches and pains are liable to increase.”

Oestrogen boosts blood flow to mucous membranes, which therefore thin during the menopause. As a result, you may interpret flavours differently – a metallic or vinegary taste in the mouth can be a sign the menopause is starting. It’s not until 12 months have passed without a period that it is considered to have ended.

Mood changes can trigger the release of histamine, responsible for inflammatory response, causing itchy skin. You may blush more easily, too.

“Menopause also affects the adrenal cortex, which helps maintain water and electrolyte balance,” adds Alison Cullen. “This can cause dryness in the vagina as well as the eyes and mouth, while conversely increasing the possibility of fluid retention.”